


Crumbling Walls

by p4ntry_d3m0n



Category: Six - Marlow/Moss
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, I have no idea what I’m doing :’D, Jane is scared and sad, but I’m taking a chance, it’s sort of hurt/comfort?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:09:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28165290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/p4ntry_d3m0n/pseuds/p4ntry_d3m0n
Summary: At the beginning of reincarnation, the queens couldn’t stand to be around each other. Soon enough, though, they started to form bonds and truces. However, they notice one queen who keeps her distance.Or alternatively: I’m bad at summaries, a more aware Jane is sad and closes herself off while the others want to get closer to her.
Comments: 79
Kudos: 84





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aliteralcalendar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aliteralcalendar/gifts).



> Just for clarification, there’s nothing wrong with fanfics where Jane was in love with Henry, I just like the thought of her being more aware of how horrible Henry is and maybe not even having a choice.

When the queens got reincarnated, it could definitely be said that they didn’t want to be around each other at all. 

They did anything and everything they could to avoid each other and if they did happen to cross paths in the house, it was more than likely that a fight would break out. This was especially the case for Catherine and Anne, as the first queen was still bitter from Anne’s involvement with Henry.

It took quite a bit of time for the ice to defrost in the house. Friendships and tentative truces were formed after a few months of avoidance and hostility. 

The first to form any kind of bond were Kat and Anna due to Kat serving as a lady in waiting for Anna in court. Then, to no one’s surprise, Anne and Kat started talking and became practically as close as sisters. Because of Kat and wanting to keep her happy, Anna and Anne formed a truce. Soon they realized they had lots of things in common and formed a real friendship.

Catherine and Cathy were the next ones to form a bond. They saw how Anne, Kat, and Anna started getting along and, not wanting to be completely alone and without someone to talk to, they decided to bite the bullet and finally talk. It wasn’t long until they formed an almost mother-daughter relationship when they realized how much they had in common.

Through reading about themselves in history books, Anne discovered that Cathy had been with Elizabeth after she died and so they formed a friendship based on exchanging stories and reminiscing.

It seemed almost impossible at first, but even Catherine and Anne were able to come to an agreement and decide on a tentative truce. Anne didn’t want to scare Kat with screaming matches, and Catherine agreed and didn’t want to make Cathy feel like she had to pick sides.

Soon enough, all of them were able to spend time together without any backhanded remarks or glares and it almost started to feel like a family. They still had the occasional fight and their feelings and trauma didn’t magically fade away, but for the most part, things were okay.

Well, almost okay. There was one queen who still hadn’t let her walls fall and avoided everyone else as if they were the plague.

One Jane Seymour.

* * *

Contrary to what others might think, Jane didn’t hate the other queens. And despite how she’s perceived in history books, she didn’t love Henry. She tried so hard to force herself to love him in hopes that she’d at least see something, anything to grasp onto that would let herself fall. But her attempts didn’t work no matter how many times she tried. 

She never even wanted his attention. It only ever meant trouble once he set his eyes on a woman. But her family was ambitious, and so her brothers and father pushed her to try and get her hands on the crown or else there would be severe consequences.

So she did as she was told. Like always. And she gained Henry’s attention by pulling it off Anne and took the crown herself. She never regretted anything more. She didn’t know Henry would go so far as to behead Anne. He didn’t have to, he could’ve just divorced her. But his temper got the best of him and he ordered her to be executed, painting his hands in red. And Jane’s. She doesn’t think she’ll ever forgive herself for what happened to Anne.

There was one thing that every queen knew, and that was that being married to Henry wasn’t easy. Not even the “only one he truly loved” had it easy. Nothing was ever perfect enough for him, nothing was ever enough. And if she made one misstep, she very well could have lost her head just like her predecessor. 

But then she found out that she was pregnant. It was both exciting and terrifying. She always wanted to have a child, someone to love, and to bring light and joy into her life. But since she was with Henry, she was terrified that she would give birth to a daughter. If circumstances were any different, she wouldn’t care if she had a girl or a boy. If Jane wanted to keep her head, though, she needed to have a son. And it seemed luck was on her side. 

On October 12th, she had given birth to her darling son, Edward. Her son, who she hoped she would get to see grow up. But life seemed to have a cruel sense of humor and she was taken away from him with a hazy illness.

When she was reincarnated, the first thing she felt was anger. Anger from being ripped away from her son, from losing her chance at having some form of happiness. And then she felt grief and sorrow. Her beautiful boy, never to know his own mother, all because she wasn’t strong enough for him. It wasn’t until all the queens started doing research on themselves that Jane felt overwhelming bitterness and resentment. All the moments she missed, all the times she couldn’t protect Edward from his horrible father.

Yes, while they may do or say things that can irritate her, Jane doesn’t hate the queens. She knew there wasn’t much choice when he laid his eyes on them. No, she doesn’t hate them at all.

But Henry?

He could go to hell for all she cares. She hopes he did and she hopes he suffered for anything he could’ve done to his children and everything he did to his wives.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The queens start their first attempt to get close to Jane.

As the queens all got closer, they couldn’t help but notice that Jane hadn’t formed any bond with anyone. At first, everyone thought that she would get along with Catherine since she served under her and even tried to help Catherine’s daughter Mary. They were surprised when Jane seemed to keep her distance to the same degree as she would Anne. Catherine herself was confused and disappointed, as she hoped she could hear how Mary was from Jane.

Not quite knowing what to think, they all assumed that Jane just hated them. This was proven false, however, when Jane managed to speak to them just fine without any hint of malice in her eyes, even when she was talking to Anne. Jane never stuck around to talk, though.

A majority of what Jane did was stay in her room or go out of the house, away from the other queens. She could rarely be found near the others, although when she was, it was because of arguments. They hadn’t expected her to fight back when there was still a lot of animosity between them and were caught off guard when she did. 

What they didn’t know was that Jane had so much bitterness built up inside that she hated being made to feel like she did in her past life. Bound to keep her mouth shut and accept insults and backhanded comments from everyone. She refused to be made to feel like that, especially by women who know damn well how that feels.

The queens didn’t know why, but it felt wrong to not have Jane with them. It was as if it were incomplete and Jane was the missing piece. So when they were having their movie night, an event first created by Anne and Kat and soon the others joined, and they saw Jane come out of her room to get some tea, they decided to take a chance.

With a knowing look exchanged between themselves, Kat tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and nervously cleared her throat and stuttered, “Hey, Jane, why don’t you join us?”

Seeing her cousin so anxious, Anne decided to back her up and, with a joking twinkle in her eyes, added, “Yeah, we’re gonna see if the entertainment they have after all these centuries is up to standard.” 

The other four queens on the couch glanced at each other and collectively rolled their eyes, knowing that Anne cried the last time they had a movie night when they watched The Lion King.

The queens all grew more anxious the longer Jane went without responding. Her face was blank, but there was a thoughtful look in her eyes. She opened her mouth to respond and the others perked up a little, hopeful that Jane would say yes.The queens practically deflated when Jane, almost coldly, said, “No, that’s quite alright. I’ll just be in my room. Have fun, though.”

And with that, Jane went into the kitchen, leaving the queens feeling slightly dejected, as confusing as it was for them. When Jane came back out with her cup of tea and started for the way to her room. She paused when she heard Anna’s voice sound out with what was forced casualness.

“Are you sure you don’t wanna watch? It’ll be fun and you’ll probably get to see Anne cry at the end.” Anne looked indignant and floundered for words before settling on elbowing Anna.

This time, instead of getting a verbal response, the others got their answer when Jane simply kept walking until they heard the sound of her door closing.

They sat in silence for a bit after that before Anne tried shrugging it off and brightening the atmosphere. She grabbed the remote and pressed play, muttering, “Eh, her loss.”

They tried their best to forget about their interaction with Jane and instead have fun with their movie night, but it stayed in their minds for the rest of the night. Each of them knew the other was experiencing it, but neither of them said a word to address it, leaving conversations almost stilted and awkward.

Late into the night, Jane slowly crept out of her room and made her way through the halls to get herself another cup of tea. She didn’t sleep much, as those were the moments she was most vulnerable for being bombarded with memories and nightmares.

She was a little caught off guard. to find all the other queens passed out on the couch. Then she snorted at her surprise. Of course the queens would be asleep, it was the middle of the night. Jane considered just leaving them there and getting her tea and leaving. 

But then she took another look at the position they’re sleeping in and tuts at the angle of their necks. She wouldn’t be surprised at all if their necks would be in pain when they wake up. So with a sigh, Jane put her cup in the sink and prepared for what she was about to do.

Jane quietly shuffled closer to the couch and took a look at each of the queens to decide who would be easiest to pick up and take to their rooms. She decided that it would be easier to start with Kat, Anne, and Cathy.

She crouched and carefully got into a position to easily push herself up, then bundled Kat up in her arms. Jane froze when she heard Kat start to mumble and shift, but let out a quiet sigh of relief when Kat settled again. After standing back up, Jane slowly started walking back to Kat’s room.

She’d occasionally stop when Kat would start mumbling and shifting. When that started to happen, Jane panicked and quickly tried to think of something to get Kat to stay asleep. The last thing she wanted to deal with was explaining to the girl, and the others for that matter, why she was carrying them to their beds.

Eventually, Jane thought of a lullaby that her own mother would sing to her when she was a little girl. She always wanted to sing it to her Edward, but, she thought bitterly, it seemed fate had different plans in mind.

So with a slight sigh, Jane hummed the lullaby to Kat when she would start squirming. It seemed to work, as Kat would calm almost instantly. After a few cycles of stopping and humming and continuing, Jane finally got Kat tucked into bed.

Next was Anne. Jane was more than a little reluctant to carry her back to her room. She still felt overwhelming guilt for her role in Anne’s beheading, and she didn’t know what she would do if Anne woke up while she was carrying her. She would rather not deal with that. Still, she sighed, she couldn’t leave them like this.

After getting Anne situated in her arms, Jane carefully, but quickly made her way to the second queen’s room. The sooner she got this done, the sooner she could go back to her room and forget this ever happened. The feat proved to be more difficult than she thought, though. Every so often, Anne would shift and start scratching at her neck.

Jane couldn’t help the pang of guilt that shot through her every time Anne did that.

She didn’t know what would get Anne to stop, but then she remembered a habit she had seen the second queen do while in court. A series of taps, almost like a code. Not knowing if it would work, Jane hesitantly tapped the pattern she remembered onto Anne’s arm. It took a while, but it seemed that did the trick, as the second queen mumbled and fell deep into sleep again.

Soon enough, Jane had gotten Anne to her bed with hardly any problems after that. She quickly fled the room when she heard her predecessor start mumbling, scared that Anne would wake up.

When it came to Cathy, Jane was most nervous because she knew the woman was a light sleeper. She just hoped Cathy’s terrible sleep habits had caught up to her enough that it would help Jane.

It felt like the longest walk in Jane’s entire life. She had to stop every few minutes or so because Cathy would start shifting and grumbling. She’d never felt more relieved when she got Cathy to her room.

Silently cursing, Jane couldn’t help but think that this was a hassle. She was now carrying Anna to her room and she was getting tired. Why was she even doing this, Jane grumbled. She didn’t even talk to them, rarely did she ever. Then Anna mumbled and shifted a bit closer to this mysterious source of warmth. Sighing, Jane let herself admit it to herself.

She cared about these women.

Jane felt as if a lightning bolt shot through her body. That thought was terrifying. She shoved it deep, deep down and hurried to get Anna to bed.

Not wanting to take any more chances of having thoughts like that, Jane made sure to hurry with Aragon. It was fairly easy. The woman seemed dead to the world. Once she tucked her into bed, Jane quickly left the room, accidentally closing it a bit too hard. Terrified of having woken any of the other queens, Jane fled to her room.

Once she was safe behind her own door, Jane slid down and pulled her knees to her chest. All the terror and fear of the queens possibly waking up had bubbled up and Jane found herself trembling.

She couldn’t let herself care for them. She just couldn’t. The last times she tried, it had been Henry. She didn’t want to find out if they could end up being like him.

And Edward…

She couldn’t lose them too. She can’t let herself get hurt. Not again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed today’s chapter! Feel free to leave input, I’d love to hear your thoughts.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The queens wake up after the previous night’s events and wonder if they’re finally getting past Jane’s barriers.

Catherine’s mind was in a haze. She fully expected to be suffering from pain in her neck due to passing out on the couch. She was confused that she didn’t feel any pain at all. In fact, she felt quite comfortable and warm. 

Catherine slowly opened her eyes and was surprised to see that she wasn’t on the couch, she was in her own bed. She shot up and started sorting through her memories of last night. She was with the other queens on the couch getting ready to watch a bunch of movies. Then Anne and Anna started arguing about which movies to watch. Then…

Catherine couldn’t help but turn her eyes down bitterly. They had tried inviting Jane to watch with them, but she just brushed them off. Catherine couldn’t understand it. Jane didn’t hate them, so why couldn’t they just get along, t _ ruly _ get along?

Still, after brushing aside that particular memory, Catherine can’t recall ever getting up to go back to her room. She eventually just came to the conclusion that someone must have carried her back to bed. As far as physical strength goes, she assumed that Anna had done it, seeing as she often went to the gym.

Stretching, Catherine decided it was as good a time as any to get up and get ready. Once she finished getting dressed and fixing her hair, she slowly made her way down the hall. As she was walking, she smelled freshly brewed coffee and food. When she got to the kitchen, Catherine was surprised to see the table set and breakfast made.

She didn’t know where this came from. Before now, breakfast was never really made for everyone. Although she was confused, Catherine wasn’t going to waste it and made herself a plate and sat down.

She ate in silence for a few moments before Anne came stumbling into the kitchen caught mid-stretch. She looked half asleep, but seemed to brighten up at the smell of coffee and the sight of breakfast.

Looking much more awake, Anne bounced over and quickly sat down to start making herself a plate. As she’s putting food on her plate, Anne absentmindedly says, “Thanks for the food.”

Catherine looks around at the breakfast on the table and the brewed coffee with a slight frown. She glances at Anne and mumbles, “I didn’t make it, though. It was already made when I came in.”

Anne paused mid-chew and slowly swallowed before looking down at all the food with a confused frown as well, muttering, “Well then, who did?”

Just as Catherine was about to respond, Anna, Kat, and Cathy trudged into the kitchen. They all got grateful smiles on their faces, and Anna and Kat immediately sat down to eat, Cathy instead headed straight to the coffee.

When Cathy joined them at the table, they all spent a few moments eating in comfortable silence. Catherine and Anne exchanged a few glances here and there, silently communicating that whoever made breakfast couldn’t have been either of them. They’re snapped back to the present when Kat suddenly speaks up in an almost shy tone.

“Oh, yeah, thanks to whoever carried me to bed.” Kat nervously scratched the back of her head, adding, “I really didn’t want to deal with any neck cramps.” The other queens look surprised. Neither of them had carried anyone to bed.

A quick glance at each other answered their questions about any of them possibly being the one who put everyone back in their beds. Kat, a little unnerved by the silence, looked up at them and grew nervous when she saw all of them frowning.

Seeing Kat begin to fidget, Anne reaches a hand over to give her a light, yet reassuring touch on her arm. Anne’s frown deepened slightly and she said, “Kat, neither of us carried you to bed. We got taken back to our rooms too.” 

Nodding, Catherine added, “And it seems neither of us made breakfast either. It wasn’t me and Anne and all of you woke up even later.” The queens sat in a pensive silence before Parr suddenly sat up more and muttered, “If it wasn’t any of us, there’s only one other queen who could’ve done all of this.”

It took a bit, but the others quickly realized who Cathy was talking about.

Jane.

The queens all felt hope rise up in them. Jane had never done anything like this before, so maybe she was finally coming around.

As if thinking about it had summoned her, Jane walked into the kitchen. She had a cup of tea with her that seemed to be empty, which only helps solidify the others’ suspicions that not only had Jane made breakfast, she had tucked them into bed too.

Growing slightly impatient, Cathy decided to bite the bullet and awkwardly cleared her throat, blurting out, “Good morning, Jane. Thanks for uh, breakfast?” 

She heard a small snort off to the side and then felt someone elbow her. Turning slightly, Cathy saw that it was Anna. The fourth wife gave her an incredulous look and whispered, “Why the bloody hell would you phrase it like a question?”

Cathy lifted her hands in front of her in defense and tried to retort, but their attention went back to Jane as responded in kind.

“Morning to you as well, Cathy.” The queens were surprised that Jane had actually said anything back, especially since she had ignored them last night before she left. Jane doesn’t stick around for long, though.

After taking a sip of her tea, Jane’s face turned blank once more and she started to leave the room. Just before disappearing, she paused by the doorway and softly said, “I hope you slept well. Enjoy your breakfast.”

It isn’t for a few moments when the queens started to excitedly whisper to each other. Kat mutters, “Do you think she’s finally coming around?”

The others all glanced at each other and they responded with hopeful smiles and excited eyes. Maybe this was the day they would all get closer to Jane. For the rest of breakfast, the five queens sat in comfortable silence, their heads filled with thoughts of ways to get closer to Jane and break down her walls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading if you did! Feel free to give input, I’d love to hear your thoughts!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The queens realize things might be harder than they thought. Jane comes to a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas Eve!! Sorry this wasn’t a bit later than the other chapters have been released so far. And a bit shorter lol. Um, enjoy, I hope you like it!

Even when they had finished eating and done the dishes, the queens were still whispering and muttering to each other about the possibility of getting closer to Jane. They all had a gleam of excitement in their eyes.

Anna suddenly paused and frowned. She glanced at the others and eventually muttered, “What if nothing changes? She didn’t exactly wanna stay for breakfast. And she didn’t say much either.”

The others’ smiles slowly dropped as they were faced with that realization. They didn’t get to ponder for long, as their thoughts were cut off when they heard the sound of a door opening and shutting. The queens all stood to attention before they tried to relax so Jane didn’t become suspicious of them.

Soon enough, Jane came into the kitchen and put her tea in the sink. To the others’ disappointment, she didn’t say a word to them. She didn’t even spare them a single glance.

What they didn’t know was that Jane was being tormented by memories and thoughts of Edward. She was taken away from him, she didn’t get to feel the happiness she yearned for, the joys of seeing him grow up that she’s heard of from Catherine and Anne when they speak so softly of their own children. She waited so long for some sort of blessing, some sort of light in her life to distract her from Henry’s cruelty. Only to be torn away. 

Instead of happiness and joyful memories, Jane and her son were punished. Her never getting to know her own son, never to see him grow, and Edward never getting to know his mother, alone at the mercy of Henry’s manipulative ways.

Lost in her thoughts, Jane didn’t register that the others were trying to get her attention. All she had on her mind was to leave the house and she was just about to when she’s snapped back to reality by Kat’s voice. Her voice sounded small and she hesitantly asked, “Jane, where are you going?”

Said queen paused and contemplated giving an answer. She relented and, with a sigh, turned to slightly face Kat and the others. Jane tried to keep the emotions she was feeling out of her voice and, as evenly as she could, said “Out. Just for a walk. I need a change of scenery.”

Kat glanced back at the other queens and, with an encouraging look from Anne, bit her lip and nervously blurted, “Would you like some company?” She couldn’t help but cringe inside at how scared she sounded.

Kat got even more nervous and fidgeted when Jane didn’t respond. She jumped a bit when she felt something touch her arm. She relaxed when she saw that it was just Anne behind her, giving her a reassuring look and gesturing to go on. Kat looked past Anne and grew slightly more determined at the queens also giving her reassuring and encouraging expressions.

Taking a breath to calm herself, Kat slowly walked up to Jane, whose eyes seemed to be far away, as if the lights were on but no one was home.

Kat, trying to keep her hand from trembling from nerves, reached out for Jane’s hand. Everyone seemed to still once she made contact and the others held their breath. They all hoped that maybe Kat would be able to break down some of Jane’s walls.

Jane slowly came back to and looked down at her hand gently, albeit hesitantly, being held by Kat’s. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone had touched her, not with good intentions, anyway. For just a moment, she let herself relax and thought about letting Kat come along. 

But then she remembered Edward, Henry, her fears, her distrust. All of it came roaring back to the surface. The others felt their hope fleeting as they watched Jane’s eyes become cold and distant again.

She slowly pulled away from Kat and simply said, “Thank you, but that won’t be necessary. I’m perfectly fine on my own.” And without waiting for a response, Jane walked out the door.

Kat deflated when she heard the front door close. She thought she was getting somewhere when Jane hadn’t refused her touch. She was hoping so, at least.

But even if Jane had pulled away and seemed cold, Kat couldn’t help but wonder.

Why did Jane look so sad?

Anne went to give Kat a side hug, silently offering comfort. The others trailed over to them, their faces sympathetic. After a bit of silence, Kat looks at all of them and mumbles, “She’s hurting. I know she is, I could see it in her eyes.” Not giving them a chance to respond to her observation, Kat continued and voiced the question they all had.

“Why won’t she let us in?”

The queens were at a loss. They didn’t know what to tell Kat. Jan had never told any of them about how she felt, let alone her problems. Hell, she hardly talked to them at all. Kat’s expression dropped when she didn’t get an answer.

Parr ran a hand through her hair and mumbled, “Maybe she just needs more time than we thought.” Anne let out a frustrated groan and growled, “It’s been months since we reincarnated, how much time does she need?” She felt a prick of regret and guilt after saying that, but she couldn’t help the frustration she felt.

Meanwhile, Jane was sitting on a bench in an empty park with silent tears gliding down her face. Part of her wished she’d never been reincarnated. If she hadn’t been reincarnated, then she wouldn’t have had to suffer with these endless thoughts and emotions. Maybe…

Maybe she could find company in the other queens.

But she couldn’t. She couldn’t bring herself to let it happen. She didn’t know why. Or so that’s what she kept telling herself so she didn’t have to think of the real reason why.

No matter what, she couldn’t let them in.

And so she resigned herself to doing things in the shadows, which was satisfactory enough.

Even if it wasn’t what she really wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading if you did!! Feel free to leave input, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
> 
> Merry Crisis!!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Crisis!! I hope you enjoy today's chapter!

When Jane came back to the house, she found her fellow queens settled on the couch. Anne, Kat, and Anna seemed to be watching a movie, although they didn’t look like they were paying much attention to it. Catherine and Cathy appeared to be looking over some books and discussing the plot while also sharing little bits of things they’d learned about this new world.

The third queen couldn’t help but tense when she saw the others immediately pause to look at her, all seemed to have perked up upon her arrival.

Seeing how Jane looked like she was about to bolt any second, Catherine quickly thought of anything that could make her stay. She cleared her throat and, with a bit of hesitance, asked, “Did you enjoy your walk?”

All she got as a response was a hum and a distant voice that mumbled, “It was fine.” The other queens couldn’t help but watch in dejection as Jane seemed to be heading to her room, an almost desperate haste in her steps.

Before Jane could disappear, though, she was stopped by what felt like two pairs of arms wrapping tightly around her. 

Her breath caught in her throat and for a brief moment, Jane thought she was back in another one of her nightmares, restricted and ready to be carted away for beheading. But then she remembered that this was a new life, a different one where she was away from Henry and all of his shady members of court.

Jane turned slightly to see who was keeping her from leaving and was more than surprised to see that the ones hugging her were Kat and Anne. She didn’t know why they were hugging her. Kat had hardly said a word to her before today and she had gotten Anne beheaded. Frankly, Jane didn’t give a damn about their reasoning, she just wanted to get away and curl up in bed and never get up again.

Of course, she couldn't, courtesy of the beheaded duo. With a sigh, Jane resigned herself to the beheaded queens’ hug, hopeful that it would end soon. She couldn’t keep her panic down forever. Everything in her was screaming for her to run.

After a few moments, Anne and Kat finally let go of Jane. They anxiously waited for Jane’s reaction with bated breath. The third queen just looked at them for a brief second before she looked back at the other queens. As more time passed, the others grew hopeful that maybe they had gotten through to Jane.

But her eyes were still distant and her expression was stone-faced. She didn’t say a word to them and just walked away, leaving her fellow queens dejected.

Catherine, Anna, and Cathy watched as Anne and Kat seemed to take Jane’s aloof actions to their core. They didn’t know why, but it always hurt a little when the third queen would keep her distance and treat them somewhat coldly. Granted, she was hardly ever downright mean and harsh, but in a way, they almost wanted that. At least then it would let them know how she felt about them.

The three queens on the couch looked at the beheaded queens with sympathetic eyes as they trudged back to sit down. They were clinging to each other for comfort and Kat seemed to be clinging the most.

Cathy sighed and pulled her knees to her chest. She was somewhat eager to get to know Jane since they were technically in-laws. But considering how things were going, she didn’t think she’d get to know her at all.

Catherine, seeing how Cathy was drifting into her thoughts, put an arm around her shoulder. She glanced at her fellow queens and mumbled, “I don’t think this is going to be all that easy.” She was met with a snort from Anne. The second queen looked at Catherine and bitterly muttered, “You think?”

Before Catherine’s irritation could flare, Anna interrupted them by raising a hand for silence and said, “Well, she was never comfortable talking with us for too long, so hugging her definitely wasn’t the right way to go.”

Kat let out a slight whimper at that and clung onto Anne even more. Anne just groaned slightly and mumbled, “Yeah, okay, fine, so hugging her wasn’t the best thing we could’ve done.” She straightened up a bit and added, “But what more could we have done? The more we think we’re getting somewhere, the more she pushes us away.”

No one really knew what to say to that and so Anne was met with silence. Still slightly irritated, Catherine bit out, “I don’t know why you want to get close to Jane anyway. You two weren’t exactly civil with each other last time.”

Anna and Cathy gave her a disapproving look, but before either of them could say anything, Anne, with an indignant fire in her eyes, sternly said, “Because, Catherine, being court hardly gave anyone a chance to see who we really are.” Her eyes narrowed as she added, “You think you’d know that.”

Catherine growled and was just about to retort, Cathy put her hands up for peace and nervously said, “Okay, that’s enough! We all know what it was like in court.” Leveling a stern look at the first queen, Cathy continued, “And I think it’s been established that we shouldn’t let some horrible man come between us.”

Catherine reluctantly relented and crossed her arms with a huff. Anne just rolled her eyes and put all her attention into comforting Kat. Anna just glanced back and forth between the beheaded queens and the first and sixth queens. Slightly rolling her eyes, Anna waved her hand about and said, “So what are we gonna do now?”

Neither of the queens really knew how to answer that. What  _ were _ they gonna do?

Cathy just sighed and fiddled with her thumbs. After a while, she mumbled, “I guess we just go back to how it was.”

It was apparent from everyone’s expressions that they weren’t satisfied with that course of action.

To everyone’s surprise, it was Kat who had spoken up. She was sitting up straighter and had a confused frown. She asked, “So that’s just it?”

Her fellow queens’ expressions were more than enough of an answer. Kat couldn’t believe that they were really considering it. Anne put an arm around her shoulders and tried to calm her, but to her surprise, Kat pulled away from the touch and looked at all of them in angry disbelief.

“No! You can’t just tell me we’re going to let her suffer with what’s in her head while we all pretend that we don’t feel incomplete without her!” The others were at a bit of a loss. Kat hardly ever got angry with anyone, let alone raised her voice like that.

Anne tried to soothe Kat, but she pulled away at her touch every time. Just as the fifth queen was about to keep going, Anna finally nodded and said, “Kat has a point.” Then, with a smirk, added, “Let’s keep giving it a go. How hard can it be?”

Kat let her frown grow into a grin, happy that someone agreed with her. She looked expectantly at the three remaining queens. Anne was doubtful, but she sighed and smiled. “Okay, Kat, we’ll keep trying.”

Catherine still didn’t think that Jane would ever let them in, but she saw Cathy’s pleading eyes staring at her and internally groaned before she muttered, “Okay, fine.”

Cathy grinned and turned to the others with a determined look. They were going to get to know Jane Seymour, without anything to come between them. With a smile, Cathy said, “I don’t know how yet, but we’ll get through to her. We won’t let her be alone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading if you did!! Feel free to leave input, I'd love to hear your thoughts!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The queens can't help but notice some things over time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one might seem short lol. And sorry for the delay in the chapter as well, I'll try to get the next one out quicker. Hope you enjoy!!

To answer Anna’s question of how hard it could be to get through to Jane, apparently very,  _ very _ difficult.

They didn’t think it was possible, but Jane avoided them even more than she already did. Anne and Kat couldn’t help but feel guilty and like they were the cause of it, but the others made sure to comfort them about it.

It took a few weeks before things were back to normal. As normal as it could be, anyway. Jane still didn’t talk to them much, but she did when necessary and she didn’t flee at the mere sight of them anymore.

They were still at a loss of how to get closer, but something managed to catch the queens’ eyes over time. 

They didn’t know if it was significant, but it almost seemed like Jane was doing little things for them. They hoped that it was a sign of sorts.

Catherine noticed that when she and Jane went to the store for groceries, Jane always disappeared and came back with things that she didn’t even like. Whenever she tried asking the third queen about why she got them, Jane never gave a response. Upon closer inspection, though, Catherine realized that they were snacks that Anne and Kat had talked about wanting a few days or so ago.

Anne noticed that when she was complaining to Kat about them not having a warm enough blanket for movie nights, Jane seemed to be staring at them with some emotion in her eyes. The next night, there was a fluffy blanket on the couch waiting for them. Kat was oblivious, but happy at the sight and thanked Anne, thinking that she was the one who got it. Anne’s face was blank and she slowly nodded, but her mind was filled with the thought that it must have been Jane who bought it for them.

Anna noticed that whenever she was low on protein bars for when she went out running and to the gym, they were always restocked the next time she looked. At first, she didn’t see anything significant about it. She figured that Catherine had done it, but when she tried thanking the first queen, all she got were confused eyes staring back at her. Then both of them paused and realized that it must have been the only one who goes for groceries besides Catherine. The third queen herself, Jane Seymour.

For Cathy, she noticed that after asking all the other queens if there were more history books around the house, there was a stack of books in a bag outside of her room the next week. Like Anna, she didn’t think it was all that significant. Not until after she asked the others at breakfast who got them for her. They all seemed confused and Cathy realized that it must have been Jane.

It was certainly not a secret that Kat had nightmares. She usually went to Anne when she had them, but more recently, she noticed that whenever she woke up from a nightmare, there was always a cup of hot cocoa waiting on her nightstand. She was always confused by it, but still grateful. She nervously tried hinting at it with the other queens, but they never seemed to understand. The only one who she hadn’t questioned was Jane. Kat couldn’t help the hopeful smile that rose to her face whenever she thought about it.

Those little details left the queens utterly confused. They all thought that it was just themselves, but when they gathered at the table for breakfast, the queens discussed everything they’d noticed that Jane had to be doing.

With everything that added up, they were all very hopeful.

But…

Jane still never stuck around for breakfast. She still didn’t talk to her fellow queens unless it was necessary. She still hardly hung around for more than a few moments.

Any sort of hope the queens had would always dampen whenever the small fact was brought up.

Meanwhile, Jane was completely oblivious to the others noticing the little things she did. She always seemed to be oblivious to the hopeful eyes that followed her whenever she was around them.

Or so she acted like she was. When in court, one always had to be aware of who was watching. So yes, the third queen was more than aware of when she was being watched, but she tried her very best to ignore it.

Jane didn’t know if she was doing something wrong or not whenever she felt their eyes on her, but she always made sure to leave quickly in case she was about to be yelled at. Having someone’s attention on you never brought anything good.

A lesson she quickly learned when she was with Henry.

So the third queen went about keeping her distance. She couldn’t handle being around the other queens for too long or else she would feel that familiar fear and panic rise up in her. She found herself taking more walks in the park. More often at night than not.

She loved to look at the stars and wonder how her son was doing. To her surprise, it didn’t bring her grief at night. Just a yearning to join Edward up above. Yet she always felt a tug at her heart when she thought of leaving. She knew why.

She didn’t want to leave the queens.

Jane never let herself think about it for long. She shoved it deep down and continued walking in the park, hoping that movement would keep those thoughts at bay.

So the household was stuck in that weird dynamic for the next few weeks. Not only were the others confused by the third queen’s actions, but frustration was quickly rising in some as well.

A certain Boleyn girl had certainly had enough of the constant walking on eggshells.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading if you did!! Feel free to leave input, I'd love to hear your thoughts!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anne has an outburst, but the queens learn something important. Jane goes through some panic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I'm aware the summary sucks ass, but like, I didn't know what to put. Also, I don't know if it's all that big of a deal, but just in case, Jane goes through a bit of a... panic, I guess you could say. I don't know if it would trigger anyone, but just in case.  
> I hope you enjoy the chapter!! It's a bit longer than the previous lol

Jane’s behavior left the queens quite possibly the most confused they’d ever felt in both of their lives. She was always distant and aloof, yet she kept doing all these gestures and it was beginning to drive some of them crazy.

It was affecting Anne the most. She was getting fed up with feeling frustration and confusion practically every second of the day. 

It was one particular morning that everything finally came to a head. All of them were sitting at the table, just about to eat breakfast. 

Everyone but Jane.

Anne had had enough. She threw her silverware down at the table, startling her fellow queens. Before any of them could comment, Anne growled, “I don’t get it! She does all of these things, but she still treats us like we’re practically strangers!”

Catherine sighed and went to try and placate Anne, but was interrupted at the sight of the third queen herself coming into the kitchen for her morning tea. Same as always, she didn’t say a word, didn’t spare them a single glance.

Just when Jane was leaving, she heard angry footsteps and froze, feeling nothing but terror run through her. Then she felt a hand grab her shoulder and roughly turn her around. Jane’s met with the sight of Anne with teary eyes filled with confusion, hurt, and frustration.

The next few moments were a blur to Jane. She saw Anne’s mouth moving in what she assumed was a furious rant, but she didn’t hear a word. It was all muffled to her. Next thing she knew, there were tears streaming down Anne’s face.

The third queen didn’t quite understand what was happening. She glanced towards the other queens, hoping to find an answer, but she was just met with expressions similar to Anne’s. They all looked confused, sad, and frustrated as well.

Jane eventually just sighed and allowed her walls to crumble for just a moment. She pulled Anne close, giving her the opportunity to cry on her shoulder.

Anne’s breath hitched before she tightly held onto the third queen. She cried out all her frustration and confusion, all while feeling the faint sensation of Jane rubbing gently rubbing circles on her back.

When the second queen’s crying settled down to mere sniffles, she realized that this was the first time Jane had ever initiated a hug with any of the queens. Anne couldn’t help but think that it was rather warm. And very comforting.

Then there was nothing but cold. Before Anne could get used to the warmth, Jane had pulled away. Looking up, Anne found that the third queen looked hesitant and conflicted. It was as if there was a war going on in her mind.

When Jane started taking a few steps back, the queens quickly realized that Jane was closing herself off again.

Anna roughly pushed her chair back and tried calling for Jane, but the blonde took a few more steps back and, completely forgetting about her tea, rushed out of the kitchen, barely managing to mutter, “Enjoy your breakfast.”

The queens helplessly watched Jane go, not knowing what to do. Anne’s shoulders sagged and the others couldn’t help but notice how small she looked.

There was a beat of silence before Anne roughly wiped at her eyes and turned around to look at the others. But with a smile. She sniffled and shakily said, “She hugged me. _She_ hugged _me_. That’s something, isn’t it?”

Still doubtful, Catherine crossed her arms and raised a brow. “Well, you _were_ crying, so I don’t know if I would count that as progress.”

Anne glared at the first queen and opened her mouth to retort, but Kat interrupted before she could. Kat nervously played with her hair and mumbled, “But it shows she cares. If she didn’t care about us, she could’ve just left Anne there. But she stayed. That’s something, right?”

She looked around at the other queens and even Catherine couldn’t refute that. Cathy rubbed the back of her neck and sighed before giving a half smile. The others had small smiles of their own and Anna leaned on her hand. “Well then, I guess we have at least something to work with.”

While the others discussed further, they didn’t realize the state that Jane was in.

Said queen was sitting on the other side of her door with her knees drawn up to her chest. She was trembling, berating herself for what just happened.

Why?

Why did she do that?

She shouldn’t have, she knows she shouldn’t have. She should’ve just left.

But she couldn’t. She couldn’t leave because she cared for them. As much as she tried to push it down and pretend as if she didn’t, Jane couldn’t help but care for the queens.

And it was utterly terrifying.

She was so scared.

What if she cared and they turned out to be like Henry? She knew that they all hated Henry with a burning passion, but Jane was far from a rational state of mind.

Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes burned with unshed tears.

What if she lost them? What if she let herself care and she lost them like she lost Edward?

Jane couldn’t take another heartbreak like that.

She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know what to let herself think anymore. And so she spent the next few hours silently crying into her knees, careful to not alert the other queens of her current state. She did everything she could to push down the terror she felt taking over.

For the rest of the day, Jane was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

Despite their newly reinstated hope and determination, the other queens noticed that it was like everything went back in time. Jane was back to avoiding them even more than usual and the gestures she did minimized to practically nothing.

Whenever the blonde encountered the others, she walked by without a word and kept her eyes forward to do whatever she needed to do before fleeing back to her room.

The other queens were once again thrown back to that state of confusion and frustration. They knew that Jane cared about them at the very least, so why was she doing this back and forth again?

Why did it hurt as much as it did?

When Jane left the house for a walk one day, the others gathered in the living room to discuss what to do. They knew that Jane cared, that was something. But how could they get Jane to open up more?

They tried asking Anne, but she just held her hands up and said, “Just because it happened doesn’t mean I know how.”

Eventually Cathy hesitantly asked, “What if one of you just… hugged her?” The others took her suggestion into account and looked thoughtful, but Anne shook her head after a bit and Kat guiltily mumbled, “But we tried that before and it just made everything worse.”

Cathy looked stumped a bit. Anna thoughtfully rubbed her chin before snapping and said, “Yeah, but that was then. Maybe she’ll hug back this time.” She gestured towards the second queen and added, “She _did_ technically initiate a hug with Anne last time, even if it was because she was crying.”

Well. It seemed they had their plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading if you did!! Feel free to leave input, I'd love to hear your thoughts!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't know what to put for the summary :/  
> But I hope you like the chapter, I definitely enjoyed writing it!!

After a bit of thinking and talking it over, the queens all eventually decided that Kat should be the one to try to hug Jane. Much to the bafflement of Kat herself. 

She was more than confused as to why it was decided to be her of all queens. When she voiced her thoughts, Catherine just absentmindedly waved her hand and said, “You’re the youngest, maybe you’ll get special privileges.”

Kat didn’t know if she was supposed to be offended by that statement or not, but she went along with it anyway, noting that she should establish that even if she was the youngest, she wasn’t a child.

At the sound of the front door being opened, the others scrambled to hide in different areas around the house, making sure to still be close enough to hear.

Kat let out a bit of a squeak at being left alone and stiffened when Jane walked in. The third queen just flicked her eyes in Kat’s direction and raised a brow before continuing on. She’s stopped by the beheaded queen’s nervous words.

“Uh, Jane?”

Biting back a sigh, Jane turned to look at Kat and muttered, “Yes?” She didn’t mean for it to come out as irritated as it did, but the blonde wanted to make this interaction as quick as possible.

Kat couldn’t help but choke. She fumbled with her words and became increasingly nervous as time went on. This was too much pressure, she felt like she was gonna make everything worse again. Why did the others have to give this duty to her? She didn’t know what to say and she felt her breathing turn shallow the longer she couldn’t think of what to say. Her vision was starting to blur.

Just as Kat was about to have a nervous breakdown, she felt warmth wrap around her and desperately clung onto the source. It wasn’t until her vision cleared up that she realized what was happening.

Jane was hugging her. And stroking her hair and softly humming. Kat slowly stopped shaking as she tried taking deep breaths. She paused a bit when she heard Jane, in the most gentle voice she’d ever heard from the third queen, mutter, “In for four, out for four.” After only a brief moment of silence, Kat followed her instructions.

They stayed like that for a long while, neither of them saying a word.

When Jane started to pull away, Kat couldn’t help the whimper that escaped her. She clung on tighter and mumbled, “Don’t go.”

Jane froze at the fifth queen’s words. She hesitated, but then she heard a feeble “please” and felt her resolve weaken.

She slowly pulled Kat closer despite the panic and fear she felt rising in her. For once, she shoved it down. Just a moment, she thought. She could let herself have this moment and then she’ll leave.

So they stayed holding each other in comfortable silence. It was cut short when they heard a shuffling sound. Jane tensed up and sharply turned her head to see Cathy standing by the hall frozen, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

Jane suddenly realized what she was doing and tore herself away from Kat completely.

Kat stumbled a little, looking dazed and confused. Then she noticed Cathy and it clicked as to why Jane pulled away so quickly. The sixth queen wasn’t prepared for the glare that Kat sent her way.

Jane started for the hall to get to her room as fast as possible. Kat and Cathy just barely heard the blonde mutter, “I hope you’re feeling better” before disappearing, the sound of a door shutting and a click informing them of Jane locking herself in her room.

Cathy winced a bit before nervously turning to look back to Kat, flinching when she found herself on the receiving end of a frustrated and angry glare. She silently prayed she wouldn’t get killed.

After a bit, the others trickled into the room. Anne grimaced at Kat’s ire and the lack of a blonde queen. “That bad, huh?”

Kat just growled and turned away from Cathy to look at the others. She roughly ran a hand through her hair, growing more frustrated. “No, we made progress. I started freaking out a lot, so she hugged me and when I asked her to stay, she did.” She sharply turned to give Cathy an irritated glare. “But then Cathy started fumbling about and Jane saw her and she shut down again!”

The other queens looked at said queen in disbelief and Cathy put her hands up in defense, blurting, “I thought it was too quiet! How was I supposed to know they were having a moment?”

The beheaded queens looked like they wanted to strangle her.

Catherine just sighed and grumbled a bit. She turned thoughtful and said, “Well, we know who’s gotten through to her, at least. Kat, not too surprising, and Boleyn, the most surprising.” She ignored Anne’s indignant “hey!”

Before Anne could continue, the queens startled at the sound of a door bursting open. A frantic and desperate looking Jane came rushing out of the hall. The others grew concerned at how disheveled she looked, how her eyes looked so scared, and how she seemed to be trembling.

When Jane saw her fellow queens in the room, she let out a strangled noise of frustration. She took a slow breath to try to gain some semblance of composure. The third queen tried walking past them, but Anne grabbed her hand, gentle but still firm.

Jane froze and her breath hitched. Too much, too many memories, too many thoughts.

Anna took a few steps closer and softly asked, “Jane, are you okay?” When the fourth queen tried touching her shoulder, Jane sharply inhaled and tore herself away from her and Anne’s touch.

There was a tense silence as the other queens found themselves on the end of Jane’s icy glare. She didn’t spare any of them from her gaze, although her eyes softened just a little when looking at the beheaded queens.

Kat noticed it and cautiously took a few steps closer to Jane, pausing every so often when Jane started looking like she was about to bolt. As Kat got closer, she said, “Jane, please. We just wanna get to know you. You’re always so distant.”

Jane looked away and her shoulders sagged a bit. The others glanced at each other and took it as a sign that they were getting somewhere. Cathy shuffled closer and took on a gentle tone. “What are you afraid of?”

The third queen suddenly looked up into Cathy’s eyes. She was tense and looked like she was gonna run out the door any second.

Catherine, desperate to ease the terror in Jane’s eyes, decided to take over. “We just want to help you. Please, Jane.”

Jane flicked her eyes around at each of the queens, looking conflicted. She hesitated and opened her mouth to say something.

But then her vision blurred and suddenly she was back at court. And it wasn’t the other queens with her, it was Henry. Henry and all his guards. He looked furious and he swung a sword around. Jane struggled to breathe. She was terrified for her life.

It’s too much, she couldn’t handle it.

She was brought back to the present by the sound of her name being called. She saw the queens looking at her with concerned and worried eyes. She stumbled away and ran for the door. She didn’t know where she was going, she just had to get away. She heard the others calling her name and for her to come back, but she blocked it out. The third queen locked herself in the car and quickly drove off.

The other queens were left in the driveway watching the car get farther and farther away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading if you did!! Feel free to leave input, I'd love to hear your thoughts!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane contemplates how she reacted and where to go from there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, the summary's awful, but it was all I had lol  
> Sorry for the delay in this chapter, I lost a bit of motivation and didn't quite know how to properly word everything. Anyway, I hope you enjoy today's chapter!!

Jane was struggling.

She was struggling to clear her head and not listen to the voices of ghosts from her past. Things Henry had said to her, things she hadn’t ever told anyone else about, all of them were tormenting her.

_Useless._

“Shut up,” Jane growled out. She wanted it to stop, she needed it to stop, why won’t it just _stop_?

_You hurt them._

Jane slammed her hand on the steering wheel. “Shut up,” she barked.

_You left them and you hurt them. Just like poor little Edward._

“Shut up!” Desperate for anything that wasn’t him, Jane turned on the radio and tried to let the music drown everything else out. She turned the volume all the way up until she could hardly hear herself. She ignored the hot tears she felt streaming down her face, she ignored the sobs she felt bubbling up in her chest. 

The blonde didn’t realize she had been driving for hours until she saw how dark the sky had gotten. She looked around and came to another realization that she didn’t know where she was. Letting out a sigh, Jane roughly wiped her face as best as she could while driving. She looked for any signs and was relieved when she saw one about places to stay for the night.

When she saw the building, Jane pulled into the hotel parking lot and just sat there. She took deep, albeit shaky, breaths to calm herself down. She didn’t stop until she felt her hands stop trembling.

Jane finally got out of the car after half an hour and looked down at her phone. 53 missed calls and 147 unread texts, a majority of them being from Anne and Kat. She wanted to say she didn’t know why, but deep down, she knew it was because she had let her walls fall the most around them. Even if it wasn’t much.

She sighed again before reluctantly sending Kat a text that said, “I’m staying at a hotel.” Short and simple.

Just so they didn’t call the cops for a missing person, she told herself. Not because she didn’t want them to wait up all night and sacrifice sleep over her of all people. She just didn’t want to bother the authorities with something so trivial. Or so she kept telling herself.

Jane checked into the hotel, ignoring the questioning and concerned look she got from the lady at the desk. When she got to her room, she was so tired and fell face first onto the bed almost immediately.

After a while, Jane rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. She remembered how earnest and genuine the queens looked before she left. She never had anyone look at her like that, she’s never had someone care as much as they claimed to. Certainly not Henry.

Maybe she could try.

But for now, she’ll just lay in bed and try not to think too much.

And so Jane slung her arm over her eyes and silently let out the sobs she tried shoving down the whole car drive.

* * *

The other queens were all sitting in Anne’s room, worrying about Jane and where she could be. Kat had told them about the text the third queen sent, but they still didn’t know which hotel she was staying at. Or if she was coming back at all.

Kat hugged her knees to her chest and anxiously watched as the other queens argued amongst themselves. She knew they always tried not to argue around her, but when they did, it always brought back memories that hit a little too close to home.

Anne and Catherine were the most vocal. They were currently arguing about whether to go out and look for Jane or to wait until she came back. Kat sighed and closed her eyes before she mumbled, “I think she’ll come back.”

She didn’t think anyone had heard her, but then the room went quiet. Kat opened her eyes and squeaked when she saw the others staring at her. She squirmed from suddenly having the spotlight on them.

“Well- I mean, she told us what her plan was for the night! That’s something!” The fifth queen shrunk in on herself and lowered her voice, embarrassed from her outburst. “And she didn’t say she was gonna completely leave either.”

Kat’s voice trailed off at the end and she stared at her phone. She’d barely taken her eyes away from Jane’s text, as if looking at it would solidify her hopes of the third queen coming home. She didn’t know why, she really didn’t, but Kat really wanted Jane to come back.

Even if the queens were getting along and becoming closer, neither of them could deny that it always felt like something was missing. Something told Kat that what was missing was Jane. She just couldn’t shake the feeling.

After talking a little more, the queens all fell into a fitful sleep. While they didn’t have any nightmares, their minds were too active, filled with concern and worry. They couldn’t stop thinking about what to do once morning came.

* * *

Jane didn’t really sleep. After laying in bed for a few hours, she had gotten up and gone to sit outside on the hotel room’s balcony. She’d been there ever since, just letting the cool air ground her. 

The more she thought about it, the more she found herself almost looking forward to giving opening up a try. It was still terrifying, but Jane tried pushing it down by reminding herself of how earnest her fellow queens looked before she left.

Now that she was calmer, she couldn’t help but feel guilty for leaving the way she did. For leaving in general, really. The blonde dropped her head on the small table and groaned. God, she really was an idiot. Leaving the queens when she had a chance to open up, driving while emotionally unstable, ending up in a completely different city _at nigh_ _t_ and leaving only a vague text for them. Jane felt rather silly over her actions now.

She sighed into her arms. As much as she tried denying it, she always wanted to get closer to the other queens. To see them getting along and almost becoming a family… it was just everything she always wanted in her previous life. A family, a real one, where everyone cared for one another and supported each other. It’s what she always dreamed about once she found out she was going to have a baby. Her own wasn’t exactly the warmest, just ambition and stiff formality.

When their bonds were just starting to develop, Jane simply stood by and watched it happen from the sidelines. She pretended to not feel the yearning to have something similar, she pretended not to feel the heavy loneliness in her when they were all together and seemed so happy and carefree, she pretended not to feel like something was just missing from her life, the tug in her heart that seemed to want to pull her in the direction of the others. She wanted that, she wanted to be a part of their lives. Sure, she was scared, but they all had to be considering the hell they all had to endure. They were all broken, but they were trying and they were putting themselves back together, why couldn’t she?

Before she knew it, it was a little ways past 3:00 am. Jane debated on getting some sleep and leaving in the morning, but she found herself feeling too restless and anxious to wait until morning. So she tidied up the room before leaving, thanking the woman at the desk on her way out of the building.

Jane knew it was basically the middle of the night, but she figured she would need to go if she wanted to be home at decent morning hours. As she got in her car, the blonde paused for a bit. She usually made breakfast for the queens, if she hurried then she could make it back in time to do so before any of the others could wake up. While it didn’t make up for everything, Jane thought that it was at least a start.

By the time she pulled into the driveway, Jane looked at the time and saw that it was just barely seven, an hour or two before any of the others would wake up. She let out a breath of relief at that. She wanted to try and open up, yes, but she wanted some more time before confrontation.

The third queen quietly made her way into the house, taking extra care with closing the door so it didn’t make too much noise. She headed for the kitchen and started on breakfast. Jane remembered hearing Anne and Kat say that they wanted to try waffles when they had seen them on a cooking show, so she figured that would help make it up to them, even if it still wasn’t much.

After she finished making breakfast and setting everything on the table, Jane fixed herself a cup of tea and sat down, nervously waiting for the other queens to wake up. It shouldn’t be long now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading if you did!! Feel free to leave input, I'd love to hear your thoughts!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in this chapter!! School started up again and got really difficult, so most of my focus was on that lol. I hope you enjoy this and hopefully I can start putting out chapters regularly again!!

Jane was right in her guess, she didn’t have to wait long at all. She started to hear shuffling and tensed at the sound of footsteps getting closer. She let out a slow breath and forced herself to stay still in her seat. She told herself she’d try and she will, even if her mind was screaming for her to run.

She took a sip of her tea to calm herself as she continued to wait for whoever was awake to come into the kitchen. The third queen felt even more nervous when she started to hear Catherine and Anne’s muffled voices coming from the hallway. She couldn’t quite make it out, but she gathered that they were talking about her. Most likely about her leaving, she thought guiltily.

Jane briefly considered getting up and going to her room, but she shook the thought away. When Catherine and Anne see her, she tensed up at their stares. She cleared her throat and tried to give them a polite smile. “Good morning.” Her words seemed to snap her predecessors out of their trance. The felt a slight surge of emotion run through them at Jane’s return and how she appeared to be staying for breakfast for the first time.

Anne was about to say something, but she felt something jab her in the side. Stifling a yelp, Anne glared at Catherine. The first queen couldn’t keep a satisfied smirk from showing, but she quickly returned to a neutral expression, looking pointedly at Anne. The beheaded queen was confused for a moment until she got it. Right, they couldn’t make things weird after Jane gave them a chance. 

Anne turned back to Jane with a small smile. They may not have had the best interactions with each other in their past lives, but she wanted to try and put all of that behind her. This was a new life, a new start, one without Henry, the pressure of producing a male heir, the pressure of having everyone’s eyes on your every move. She couldn’t say all of her bitter feelings about the past were gone. Her beheading was still a touchy subject and when she thought about it and saw Jane, she still felt some anger. But Anne was tired of holding onto those feelings. She wouldn’t ever forget her beheading, she could never, but they all did a lot of shitty things in the past. Kat managed to get her to at least try to forgive back when things were horrible and the first three queens argued the most. If she could make this much progress with holier-than-thou Catherine of Aragon, she could try to forgive Jane.

Speaking of, the third queen had let herself relax a little more when she saw her predecessors smile. They join her at the table and eat in relative silence, something Jane is ever so grateful for. She didn’t think she would be able to handle it if they bombarded her with questions. For once, she let herself focus on the pleasantness of having a meal together. The blonde felt a stab of guilt. She could’ve had this if she hadn’t been so stubborn before.

The three queens ate in a fairly comfortable silence, even if Catherine and Anne were itching to actually talk to Jane. Jane had nearly relaxed completely before she tensed up at the sound of more footsteps coming from the hallway. She knew that she would have to be around all five of them, but that didn’t help the fear that shot through her. Even with her mind screaming for her to run and distance herself so she doesn’t get hurt, the third queen stayed in her seat.

Her predecessors noticed how Jane went back to being stiff and anxious, watching her with concerned eyes. They briefly considered holding her hand to comfort her, but Jane’s history of physical touch with the queens quickly threw the idea out of the window. So reluctantly, they just painfully watched Jane seem to struggle internally. It was only a moment before the other three queens walked into the room, though they froze when they saw Jane at the end of the table. She looked at them with wary eyes, waiting for one of them to do something, say something, just anything.

Anna was the first to snap out of her daze, but before she could say anything, Catherine interjected. “Jane was kind enough to make us breakfast, ladies. Let’s not stand around and let it grow colder.” All while saying this, the first queen was staring at them with a stern gaze, her eyes silently telling them “don’t mess this up.” Anne followed up and said, “Sit down and join us already.” Anna and Cathy hurried to sit down, hearing barely hidden frustration in her tone.

They were just about to return to eating in silence before they realized two things: Jane was still tense and staring, and Kat was still standing and staring right back at Jane. The others grew nervous and anxiously glanced at each other. After a moment of silence and the queens not knowing what to do, Jane cleared her throat and finally spoke.

“Um, Katherine, why don’t you sit down and join us?” With a bit more hesitance, Jane quietly said, “I could also make you some hot chocolate if you don’t want tea.” 

That seemed to have snapped Kat out of her trance and suddenly felt overwhelmed with emotion. She didn’t know why, but it just felt almost unbearable for everyone to be split up and to finally have everyone here, with Jane safe and talking to them, she couldn’t help but be so relieved.

Kat was still in a bit of disbelief. Jane came back. She actually came back to them. And she’s staying.

Before any of the other queens could realize, Kat crossed the distance between her and the third queen and threw her arms around Jane in a tight hug. The blonde froze. She didn’t expect this at all.

The others tensed when they noticed Jane’s eyes glaze over. They knew that Kat couldn’t resist, but her doing that could send the third queen back into hiding. They felt exasperated with the thought. It would feel like the millionth time if it happened again.

The fifth queen finally seemed to realize what she just did and jumped away, eyes wide with panic. She couldn’t believe she did that, God, she was such an idiot. She knew what happened the last time she and Anne tried to hug her. She ruined everything. Now Jane was gonna avoid everyone again and it’ll be all her fault. She heard someone say something, but she couldn’t make it out. It sounded too muffled.

Just as Kat was starting to shake and hyperventilate, she saw blurry movement in front of her and felt a warmth engulf her. 

It had only been once, but she’d know that warmth anywhere.

With a slight whimper, Kat immediately clung onto Jane and tried to calm down. They stayed like that for a few more minutes, Kat barely hearing the other queens concerned muttering to each other. When she felt Jane start to pull away, the fifth queen tightened her grip in a slight panic. She wasn’t sure Jane wouldn’t flee and she didn’t want the warmth to fade just yet. The blonde just paused in her movement and hummed part of a lullaby to calm Kat completely. The youngest queen realized that this was a different one from the lullaby Jane hummed to Anne before. She tucked that bit of information away in the back of her mind and planned to ask about it in the future.

When she felt Kat relax in her arms, Jane stopped humming and pulled away completely. Then she noticed that everyone’s eyes were on her and she felt her face burn at the attention. Having people’s eyes on you didn’t usually mean a good thing to her, at least not in the last life.

She awkwardly cleared her throat and shyly muttered, “Why don’t you sit down with the others while I get you something to drink?” Kat gave a bright smile and nodded before settling down in her seat. The queens tried not to stare, but they were just so relieved and glad that Jane was finally opening up to them.

Then their smiles dimmed as they realized they still had to ask why Jane was so upset before.

They all internally groaned. They knew the risks of it and they really, _really_ didn’t want to ask for that reason.

The queens put it off for the whole time they were eating and even when the dishes were being washed. When everything was clean and put away, they nervously glanced at each other before Catherine’s expression turned reluctant, but accepting of their possible fate.

“So, Jane?”

The queens winced when they got a hum as a response. Jane seemed a lot happier than she had been and she seemed more relaxed than how she was at the beginning of breakfast. They really didn’t want this moment to end.

“What made you leave in such a panic yesterday?”

Jane completely froze. She knew the other queens were going to be curious, she knew they were probably going to ask, but she still tried to forget and hope that the time wouldn’t come.

She blinked and suddenly she was back in court, surrounded by people who seemed trustworthy but were snakes in disguise. Using things about her against her to keep her in place, remind her of her measly status. They were all watching, waiting for her to falter so they could pounce and use her as a stepping stone for their own benefit.

Then she blinked again and she was back in the kitchen with the others staring at her. Watching and waiting. It felt too similar, too suffocating.

She couldn’t tell them, not yet.

Jane slowly took a few steps back until her back was against the counter. She felt trapped and suddenly all the panic from earlier that morning surged back up. She could hear the others calling her name and trying to calm her down, but she couldn’t take it anymore. She said she’d try and she did, but she couldn’t keep this up anymore.

She took a shaky breath and mumbled, “I should go.” Without waiting for a response, Jane rushed out of the kitchen and down the hall to her room, locking it behind her. She let out a relieved breath, but the relief was quickly replaced with guilt, regret, and self-loathing.

She couldn’t do anything right. Henry was wrong about a lot of things, but that was one thing he was right about. So Jane curled up on her bed, and cried silent and bitter tears.

Meanwhile the queens were left in the kitchen with regret and anger. They knew this could happen, but dammit, they thought there would be a chance where it wouldn’t. They were bitter and angry at themselves for messing it up.

In just an instant, all the queens had lost the progress they had made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading if you did!! Feel free to tell me what you think, I'd love to hear your input!!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading if you did! Feel free to leave input.


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